Mary Wilson Loeffler
Cite this Page
"Mary Wilson Loeffler," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whha.whirlihost.com/Detail/workers/41.
- Positions
- Maid
- Laundress
- Years in President's House
- circa 1790 – 1792
- Legal Status
- Free Person
- Gender
- Female
- Race/Ethnicity
- White
- Presidency
- George Washington
- Biography
- Details about Mary Wilson Loeffler's life outside of President George Washington’s household remain unknown.1 Mary first joined Washington’s presidential household in the role of washerwoman. It is unclear exactly when she joined the household staff, but in March 1791, she was promoted to the position of housemaid at the President’s House in Philadelphia, replacing Mira Lefferts.2 Replacing her as washerwoman was Mary Helm, though she only stayed on for two months before being replaced by Katy Jacobus. The following summer, Mary married a man with the last name Loeffler. She left her position in fall 1792.
- Mary Wilson is too common of a name to determine the correct person.
- Stephen Decatur, Jr., Private Affairs of George Washington, from the records and accounts of Tobias Lear, Esquire, his secretary, (New York: De Capo Press, 1969), 193-194, https://archive.org/details/privateaffairsof0000deca/page/124/mode/2up.
- Stephen Decatur, Jr., Private Affairs of George Washington, from the records and accounts of Tobias Lear, Esquire, his secretary, (New York: De Capo Press, 1969), 300, https://archive.org/details/privateaffairsof0000deca/page/124/mode/2up.
- Birthplace
- Unclear from Context
- Unclear from Context
- Related Workers
- Mary HelmHousekeeping and Laundry, 1791
- Mira LeffertsHousekeeping and Laundry, 1790 – circa 1793
- Katy JacobusHousekeeping and Laundry, 1791 – 1793
- Mary Lefflercirca 1794 – 1795